Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕁ust Kids

Nicki gasped as she woke up. "Do you like waking up as if you've just been drowning?"

Ethan stood in her doorway. He wore loose black tracksuit bottoms, a plain long-sleeved purple T-shirt, and a bronze breastplate that hung on his body loosely due to his slim build.

Nicki tossed a pillow at the boy, burying her head under her duvet. "10 more minutes."

"Nope." Ethan wrestled with the duvet. "Get up, Nicki-I-don't-know-your-middle-name!"

Nicki sniggered, still hidden under the blanket. "Kate."

Ethan stopped fighting with the duvet and crossed his arms. He tapped his foot against the hardwood floor impatiently.

"Nicola Kate Driscoll, you have 3 seconds."

"Nicki isn't even short for Nicola."

"3..."

"Oh, for Hades' sake."

"2... Don't make me say 1."

Nicki scowled but crawled out of bed nonetheless. She crossed her arms over her tattered, Red Sox pj hoodie. "Does this make you happy?"

"Very." Ethan laughed at the look on Nicki's face. "Get dressed, you can not go out in that."

Nicki curled into herself protectively, hiding the Red Sox logo. "What's wrong with my hoodie?"

"What's right with it, is a better question. Get dressed."

"Yes mom," Nicki muttered, slowly inching her way toward her wardrobe.

"I'd move faster than that, training starts in 10." Ethan grinned cheekily before ducking out of the bedroom.

"Hang on, I thought I didn't have to do training?" Nicki was meant with muffled laughter. "Go annoy someone else, Nakamura."

"No thanks!"

Nicki cursed under her breath, rushing around her room. She grabbed her deodorant and sprayed herself with it, at the same time as tugging her black athletic leggings up her legs.

Ethan stuck his hand into the room. Nicki's purple toothbrush sat in his grasp.

"Thank you." She called through brushing her teeth. She forced an oversized Guns N' Roses shirt over her head.

When she burst through the door a minute later, Ethan bit back a snigger.

He waved his hand at her face. "Are you not gonna deal with that?"

A faint purple haze brushed itself over Nicki's hair, detangling the rat's nest that had made itself home on Nicki's scalp. Her hair fell softly over her shoulder in loose waves.

"Better?"

"Yeah! Can you teach me how to do that?" Ethan reached out to touch Nicki's hair.

Nicki slapped Ethan's hand away. "No, stop it."

"Y'know," Ethan began, beginning the trek toward the courtyard, "I think that was the fastest I've ever seen you get ready."

Nicki shrugged. She slipped her ring into her palm. "I wonder why."

"The world's greatest mystery, I think." Ethan shoved Nicki lightly with his elbow. Nicki elbowed him back, grinning to herself.

She flipped her black ring between her fingers. Her familiar black blade grew into existence in her grasp.

She fidgeted with the weight in her hands, working out the best grip on her handle as they walked. Ethan watched on in silent admiration of the girl, not that he'd ever admit that. That'd make her ego bigger than it already was.